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Personal development · Critical thinking

Think for Yourself: A Practical Guide to Critical Thinking for Everyday Claims

From news headlines and adverts to social media posts and casual conversations, we are bombarded with claims every day. This course gives you the practical tools to sort fact from fiction, spot flawed arguments, and make up your own mind with confidence. No philosophy degree required—just a curious,

360 min8 modulesBeginner friendly
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Free to take. This course does not use any Learning Credits.

What you’ll be able to do

By the end of this course, you will be able to identify common logical fallacies, evaluate evidence for everyday claims, and construct a reasoned argument of your own, applying these skills to real-life situations.

Course outline

A clear route from first principles to practical confidence

  1. 01

    Module 1: What Is Critical Thinking – and Why Does It Matter?

    • Thinking vs. Believing: The Difference Between Opinion and Reasoned Judgement
    • Everyday Traps: How We Get Fooled by Headlines, Adverts, and Gossip
    • The Critical Thinking Toolkit: Key Questions to Ask About Any Claim
    • Your Own Biases: Why We All Have Blind Spots
  2. 02

    Module 2: Claims, Evidence, and the Burden of Proof

    • Fact, Opinion, or Assertion? Sorting Out What’s Being Said
    • Who Says So? Evaluating Sources and Expertise
    • Anecdotes vs. Data: When a Single Story Isn’t Enough
    • The Burden of Proof: Why the Person Making the Claim Must Back It Up
  3. 03

    Module 3: Spotting Dodgy Arguments – Logical Fallacies

    • Ad Hominem and Straw Man: Attacking the Person, Not the Point
    • False Dilemmas and Slippery Slopes: When Choices Are Not So Simple
    • Appeals to Authority, Popularity, and Emotion: When Persuasion Goes Wrong
    • Circular Reasoning and Begging the Question: Arguments That Go Nowhere
  4. 04

    Module 4: Numbers, Statistics, and How They Can Mislead

    • Averages Aren’t Everything: Mean, Median, and Mode
    • Percentages and Proportions: The Art of the Misleading Statistic
    • Correlation vs. Causation: Why Ice Cream Doesn’t Cause Sunburn
    • Graphs and Visual Tricks: How Pictures Can Lie
  5. 05

    Module 5: Science, Pseudoscience, and Everyday Health Claims

    • What Makes Something Scientific? The Role of Testing and Peer Review
    • Red Flags for Pseudoscience: Miracle Cures, Conspiracies, and ‘They Don’t Want You to Know’
    • Placebos, Anecdotes, and Testimonials: Why Personal Stories Aren’t Proof
    • Reading Between the Lines: How to Interpret a News Story About a Study
  6. 06

    Module 6: The Media, Misinformation, and Your News Feed

    • Headline vs. Story: How Clickbait Distorts the Truth
    • Fake News, Deepfakes, and Misinformation: A Practical Guide to Fact-Checking
    • Echo Chambers and Algorithms: Why You See What You See Online
    • Lateral Reading: How to Verify Information by Looking Elsewhere
  7. 07

    Module 7: Constructing Your Own Arguments – Being Clear and Fair

    • The Anatomy of an Argument: Claim, Reason, Evidence, and Warrant
    • Avoiding Your Own Fallacies: How to Argue Honestly
    • Using Evidence Effectively: Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Citing Sources
    • Handling Counterarguments: How to Strengthen Your Case by Acknowledging Opposing Views
  8. 08

    Module 8: Putting It All Together – Critical Thinking in the Wild

    • Case Study: A Viral Health Claim – What Would You Ask?
    • Case Study: A Political Advertisement – Separating Spin from Substance
    • Case Study: A Friend’s Strong Opinion – How to Disagree Respectfully
    • Your Critical Thinking Action Plan: Habits for Lifelong Clear Thinking